Chateau De La Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape 2019

After having undergone an extremely thorough selection on the sorting table, which is the key stage at la Gardine for the future quality of the wine, the grapes are cooled down. Château de la Gardine is one of the last remaining estates in Châteauneuf du Pape to blend grapes before vinification, which is the traditional way of making wine in the region. A synergy between the varieties arises during the winemaking. While Grenache is the heart of the mixture, Syrah enhances wonderfully the aromatic potential. Moreover, Syrah neutralizes the tendency towards premature oxidation of the Grenache grapes. The final balance of the wine would not be nearly as good if the different varieties of grapes were fermented separately and only mixed later on. Usually all the stalks are removed, but some can sometimes be left according to the ripeness of the stalks and the grapes. The cap of grape skins is treaded down twice at the beginning of alcoholic fermentation, followed by recirculation in large stainless steel tanks. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine remains on the dregs for another 5 – 10 days and is then transferred by gravity into concrete barrels for malolactic fermentation. Depending on the harvest, the wine ages during 9 to 14 months, 60% in vats and 40% in 1 to 6 year-old 225 litres oak barrels.